As a result of their excellent tear strength, tensile strength, flex life, abrasion resistance, and suitability for a broad range of end-use temperatures, thermoplastic copolyetherester elastomers are used in a broad range of applications, including many automotive applications. However, many of these applications are used outdoors and require that articles made from copolyetheresters be exposed to ultraviolet (UV) radiation during normal use. Copolyetheresters are known to be particularly sensitive to UV radiation (see for example: F. Gugumus in: R. Gächter, H. Müller (ed).; Plastics Additives Handbook, 3rd Ed., Hanser Publishers, Munich 1990, p. 170.) Upon prolonged exposure to UV radiation, even in the presence of typical UV light stabilizers used in thermoplastic resin compositions, copolyetheresters can degrade, leading to a loss of physical properties and a diminished surface appearance. The addition of UV light absorbers such as carbon black can provide compositions that have sufficient stability to UV light for outdoor applications, but the presence of the carbon black means that such compositions are by necessity black or near-black in color. In many applications it would be desirable to be able to use a copolyetherester composition in its natural color or with colorants having a color other than black.
WO 00/27914 discloses a thin packaging film made out of a thermoplastic material with anti-UV properties. The thermoplastic material contains at least one organic anti-UV compound and a at least one inorganic anti-UV compound, where the inorganic compound may be micronized zinc oxide or micronized titanium dioxide.